Johnnie Walker, from the house of Diageo, has partnered with Taproot Dentsu, the creative agency from dentsu international, to launch the #WalkInWithJohnnie campaign. The campaign aims to support bar continuity and help inspire consumers to responsibly return to their favourite bars.
Conceptualised and executed by Taproot Dentsu, the agency that was mandated with the brand’s ‘Welcome Back to the Bars’ campaign in September this year, the #WalkInWithJohnnie campaign is initiated through a digital film and will be further amplified via an on-trade activity. In line with the brand’s ethos of ‘Keep Walking’, the film showcases people walking into their favourite bars with empty glass bottles, leaving behind the memories of the months gone by and stride towards renewed and newer experiences.
This campaign comes into play with Diageo’s existing responsible commitment of ‘Raising the Bar’. Diageo has already established its support to the F&B industry in India with safety and hygiene equipment with an aim to build consumer confidence and stand in solidarity with the country’s bars and pubs.
The second leg of the campaign will showcase glass installations, created using empty glass bottles deposited by the consumers at these bars. Recognised glass artists such as Tyrell Valladares, Romicon Revola, Reshmi Dey and others, will mold these empty bottles into beautiful art installations across select bars, designed to inspire all and forge them ahead during tough times and leave behind their mark in history. The consumers will also receive a striding man memento for contributing their empty bottle towards the installation.
Commenting on the campaign, Pallavi Chakravarti, ECD, Taproot Dentsu said, “There are many things that came to a grating halt this year. Among them was the ability to connect with friends and like-minded individuals over a drink at one’s favourite bar. With things gradually opening again, Johnnie Walker wanted to play its part in bringing bar culture back to life, responsibly. The launch of #WalkInWithJohnnie is a call to action that is completely in step with the philosophy of the brand. No pause is permanent, no interruption is final. There are new memories to be made, new experiences to be enjoyed and a new tomorrow to be explored. The digital campaign culminates in an on-ground activation that we hope will resonate with people and make each patron’s return to their favourite bar an unforgettable one.”
“Johnnie Walker has been at the heart of bar culture in India and we wanted to play a role in helping bring the vibrancy back to this channel as it opened up post the pandemic. We acknowledge the effort being put in to making our beloved bars safe for consumers to get back to. Through this initiative, we aim to inspire consumers and make their experience at their favourite bars memorable. The campaign is off to a great start and we look forward to more and more participation in the coming weeks,” added Abhishek Shahabadi, VP and Portfolio Head, Premium & Luxury Brands, Diageo India.
For the record, the digital film is currently running on Johnnie Walker India’s Instagram & Facebook channels.
Campaign Credits:
Agency: Taproot Dentsu, Mumbai
Co-founder, Taproot Dentsu and Creative Chairman India, dentsu: Agnello Dias
Head of Creative: Pallavi Chakravarti
Head of Planning and Strategy: Shashank Lanjekar
Creative Team: Anant Rajan
Account Management: Ambalika Sen & Aarya Sha
Director – Misha Ghose
Production House – Chalk&Cheese Films
Producer: Zico Maitra